Best Ski & Snowboard Goggles 2019 (The Ultimate Buyers Guide)

As you fly down the snowy mountainside, you need to see where you are going, right? Goggles make this possible. And actually, a good pair of goggles will protect your eyes, enhance your vision and still be comfortable to wear.But unfortunately, the market is flooded with all kinds of goggles brands, which makes it difficult to pick a pair that is ‘best’ for you. But here’s some good news – in this piece, we shall go through everything you need to know to choose the best ski and snowboard goggles for your needs.

Why Ski/Snowboard Goggles are So Important

They Reduce Glare

Ski goggles help in improving visibility and avoiding accidents. For example, dark or polarised lenses are perfect for sunny days as they help to minimise the reflected glare that might otherwise force you to squint. Photochromatic lenses, on the other hand, are even better as they change depending on light intensity – they are like the ‘auto-brightness’ feature on Android phones.

They Increase Contrast

Contrast when skiing or snowboarding is crucial as it helps increase the visibility of slopes and bumps ahead of you. Some lens colours that help in increasing contrast include rose, amber and brown.

They Protect You From Debris and The Cold

Cold weather irritates the eyes. Moreover, skiing and snowboarding expose your eyes to relatively strong winds for long periods. Ski or snowboard goggles will seal your eyes and protect them from the cold wind and debris on the snow.

They Offer Extra Protection From Trail Accidents

As a beginner, you’ll fall numerous times (more than you’d care to count) on the trails and pistes. This is expected. You are still getting a hang of your direction and speed. But even then, you still need to protect yourself from the twigs and branches in the trails.

How We Rate the Best Ski & Snowboard Goggles

Narrowing down to 7 goggles in a sea full of them is no easy feat. And with that said, here’s how we rate our best ski goggles.

Fit/Comfort

Goggles come in various sizes and comfort features. And generally, most adults can wear goggles of different sizes. But even then, there are some general guidelines that surround sizing in the industry.

The easiest way to think about your size is to consider your head size. If you wear a small helmet, then a small google frame will work for you. If you wear a large or even an extra-large helmet, then you should consider a medium to large google size.

Below is a quick size breakdown to guide you:

Small – this is perfect for the youths and kids. However, some adults with smaller faces can wear them.

Medium – this size fits almost everyone. And while we are on this, it’s important to note that most goggles are unisex, aside from some feminine shapes and colour schemes that women’s only goggles feature.

Large and oversized – this category is not only about fit, but also about the field of view. You see, large and oversized goggles are usually compatible with helmets (though not all) and provide a widescreen for enhanced peripheral vision. So essentially, you’ll have a better view vertically and horizontally. As such, you’ll see hazards and people on the sides better.

Over the glasses (OTG) – these goggles are designed for people who wear prescription glasses and want to have fun on the slopes.

Remember, when choosing your goggles, they shouldn’t have gaps between the face and the foam. Everything should be snug and shouldn’t have pressure points. And since the nose area and the temple are the usual comfort culprits, pay more attention to them.

Lens

The lenses are everything when it comes to ski goggles. There are several aspects that you’ll need to consider. However, here, we shall limit ourselves to lens shapes.

Lenses are either spherical or cylindrical. Cylindrical lenses curve across the face, and their vertical surfaces are large. Goggles with these lenses are cheap and practical. However, the flat design may cause some glare and reduce peripheral vision.

On the other hand, spherical lenses curve across the face and vertically as well. This yields improved peripheral vision with minimal glare and distortion. However, you should expect to spend a little more for these goggles.

Style

A lot goes into determining your goggle’s style. These include the frame design, the size, and fit, lens colour and padding.

How to Choose the Right Goggles For You

Now that you know how we rate these ski goggles, it’s time to get a little technical to help you understand what will influence your choice of one pair of ski/snowboard goggles over the other.

Face Type/Size Affects Your Potential Field of View

As we’ve mentioned, the size of the goggles you choose will depend on the size of your head and face. There are basically three sizes; small, medium and large. Other fits include Over the Glasses which can be worn over prescription glasses. So clearly, you need to know what size you are and determine if you’ll have to wear the goggles over prescription glasses.

Note: The large fits have wider fields of view. They are perfect for when you are skiing on slopes with lots of obstacles and traffic.

In regards to size, you’ll also want to consider the strap length. Adjustable straps are perfect for helmet wear.

Know your Expected Conditions

It’s important to know the weather you should expect as it affects the goggles you buy based on lens type and ventilation. Check if it’s sunny, too cloudy or cold and choose your goggles based on these factors.

Ventilation/Fogging

If your pair of goggles gets fogged up, it will not matter what type of lens it has. Your visibility will be impaired. To prevent this, you should prefer goggles with double lenses because they are less prone to fogging.

Ventilation comes from the bottom, top, and sides of the snow goggles. And the more air circulates inside, the less likely the goggles will fog. The specific shape and size of the goggle vents vary depending on the brand and model. As such, you should inspect the pair yourself, and if possible, you can try it on with a helmet to ensure it doesn’t block the vents.

What Different Color Lens Mean

The lens colour is yet another important consideration. As we pointed out earlier, different lens colours are optimised for different performance, depending on light intensity and prevailing weather conditions.

The best lens colours for low light are amber, blue, yellow and rose. For sunny days, grey, mirrored and black lenses will do.

Interchangeable Lenses

If you frequent the snowy Alps, then you should be prepared for any weather. This is where goggles that allow you to easily and quickly change lenses come in handy.

Having several lenses of different colours will help to maximise your visibility as well as performance throughout the day regardless of the lighting and weather. Why is this important? Well, unfortunately, no single lens colour can guarantee perfection in all weather conditions.

Lens Padding

Just like it is with most outdoor gears such as ski backpacks and helmets, padding quality varies significantly with ski goggles as well. In most cases, the quality gets better as the price goes higher. Basic models have simple foam (usually single layers). It is usually not super comfortable around the face since it doesn’t have a snug fit. If you are willing to spend more, you will get goggles with multi-layered foams complimented with flexible plastic frames. These contour the face and are super comfortable.

If the idea is to ski once or twice a year, then a basic model is a rational choice. However, if you’ll frequent the slopes, then you cannot afford to skimp on fit and comfort.

Anti-Fog Coatings

This is a lens feature which helps to prevent goggle fogging. But unfortunately, low-end goggles don’t have anti-fog coatings. Only high-end and mid-range goggles have this feature. These coatings are chemicals that help prevent fogging. But even if you spend on low-end goggles, you can purchase these treatments separately.

Spherical Lenses

Despite the recent shift to cylindrical designs, most premium goggles have spherical lenses. This means that the lens is curved both vertically and horizontally. They are designed this way to mimic the shape of the eyeballs to enhance a superior wide view.

Practically, we found this claim to be true. However, we should point out that the differences between these lenses are not as noticeable as they were a few years back.

Goggles Straps

Goggles come with adjustable straps. Some feature buckles while others clips. But whichever the case, the strap should allow you to loosen it so that you can get a perfect fit. If you tighten the strap to the last possible point and it still remains loose, then you should get another choice.

Top 7 Ski & Snowboard Goggles For 2019

#1 - Dope Sphere OG Ski Goggles

Weather

Mixed Clouds(Other lenses available)

Lens

Spherical

Features Rating

9/10

Price Range

€109.9

Needless to say, these ski goggles are dope. No. Really, they are cool. They feature a spherical lens which is complemented with an oversized fit which ramps up the style. Moreover, the combination of these two features improves on your peripheral view to help you see your obstacles better.

In addition to this, the spherical lens has a dual layer and is vacuum sealed. This gives the goggles precision in regards to optical clarity and helps to protect against fogging.

What’s more, the lens is interchangeable. The goggles feature a lens locking system which makes the change fast and easy. Most importantly, they also protect against UV rays and scratching.

#2 - Dope Flush OG Ski Goggles

Weather

Lens

Cylindrical

Features Rating

8/10

Price Range

€99.9

These Dope ski goggles feature a flat lens and a big lens that gives you a great view of your surroundings. They also have improved style and performance.

Their lenses are designed to protect against fogging and optimal visibility. The vacuum sealed tech and the dual layer makes this possible. Moreover, to make the lens more durable and comfortable, Dope made the frame from a flexible material which contours over the face and doesn’t break easily (just in case you think of testing its limits).

Oh, and did we mention that the lenses are scratch resistant and UV protected?

#3 - Oakley Fall Line Ski Goggles

Weather

Mixed Clouds(Other lenses available)

Lens

Cylindrical

Features Rating

8/10

Price Range

€199.9

These are designed to provide a wide field of view through their amazing features that they come with.

The ‘Fall Line’ features a cylindrical lens and is a medium fit, which is engineered to fit perfectly on most faces and even on helmets. The goggles have the proprietary of Oakey Ridgelock Technology, which makes them easier to change lenses. This technology also ensures the lens is sealed to protect your eyes from harsh weather conditions.

At the temple are some well-designed and hidden notches that make the goggles compatible with prescription wear.

#4 - Dragon PXV Ski Goggles

Weather

Mixed Clouds(Other lenses available)

Lens

Spherical

Features Rating

9/10

Price Range

€199.95

If you are looking for improved visibility, then the Dragon goggles are perfect for you. Dragon takes visibility to new levels. They do this by incorporating toric lens curvature which makes it possible to curve the lens even further for improved peripheral vision-almost panoramic.

In addition to this, we loved that the lens features Lumalens (a proprietary optimised colour lens tint), anti-fog coating, and triple layer foam. All these work together to improve the skiing or snowboarding experience.

It’s also worth noting that the goggles have armoured venting, are frameless and have a microfleece lining to keep you warm on the cold, snowy slopes.

#5 - Appertiff DWG Ski Goggles

Weather

Mixed Clouds(Other lenses available)

Lens

Cylindrical

Features Rating

7.5/10

Price Range

€85

These goggles are stylish and have a classic shape. They are designed with triple foam for comfort and lined with nano fleece to make them more durable and breathable. The foam is extra wide around the nose, which adds to its comfort.

They have rhombus ventilation which provides better airflow and increase durability.

The lens is cylindrical, water resistant, have anti-fog coating and double glass. To enable easy adaptation in different light conditions, the lens is photochromic and has UV protection.

#6 - Dragon NFX2 Ski Goggles

Weather

Sunny(Other lenses available)

Lens

Cylindrical

Features Rating

8.5/10

Price Range

€199.95

These goggles are stylish and have a classic shape. They are designed with triple foam for comfort and lined with nano fleece to make them more durable and breathable. The foam is extra wide around the nose, which adds to its comfort.

They have rhombus ventilation which provides better airflow and increase durability.

The lens is cylindrical, water resistant, have anti-fog coating and double glass. To enable easy adaptation in different light conditions, the lens is photochromic and has UV protection.

#7 - Anon MigMfi Ski Goggles

Weather

Lens

Features Rating

Price Range

These are men ski goggles. The feature MFI (Magnetic Facemask Integration) which seals the lens in a single snap. The lens is spherical, and it offers superior optics in comparison to other goggles.

More to this, the goggles are OTG and are as such compatible with prescription glasses. For contrast enhancement, the glass features SONAR technology. We should also point out that the frame is lightweight and the straps are made from non-slip silicone.

Protect Your Eyes When you are on the Slopes

Regardless of whether you are snowboarding or skiing, it’s crucial that you protect your eyes. Having the right goggles will serve as the first line of defence. We have listed all you need to consider and even taken the liberty of reviewing some of the best budget-friendly goggles for you. The ball’s now in your court. Take that final step and invest in a quality pair of ski/snowboarding goggles.